Today’s toys just aren’t what they used to be, and that’s something any girl who was a kid in the 80’s and 90’s can agree on. Not only are they made with inferior quality materials, but they aren’t half as much fun as those that were made decades ago. While having technologically advanced tablets and Wi-Fi enabled board games is cool, it’s just not the same as a good old board game that brought family and friends together for hours on weekends. Want to re-live those moments? Then get your nostalgia fix with these awesome retro girls toys that you’ll wish you still had.
Skip It
Remember the days of crashing into your best friend while you both tried to “skip it” together? Let’s face it, there was some finesse required to use this toy. If you didn’t hit it against your leg when you first started using it, then you weren’t trying hard enough. However, once you go the hang of it and could actually skip over it, you’d be the envy of all your friends. Unfortunately that would only last a couple of minutes, because this was one seriously tiring toy!
Pogo Ball
Jumping was never more fun than it was with the Pogo Ball. One of the best parts was that it looked like a UFO that you could literally bounce on like there was no tomorrow. Of course falling down was a necessary part of playing with this, but it was worth it if you got the hang of it. Heck, some people even mastered jumping on walls with this bouncy toy, in addition to a lot of other fun tricks.
Pogo ball is what’cha call it!
Get in Shape Girl
When this toy came out, almost every single girl in my school was spotted with her weighted bracelets on, lifting her arms like she was lifting a barbell. Of course I eventually found better use of the twirling ribbon by tying up my little brother, but there were a lot of good times had with Get in Shape Girl. You could dance, twirl and act like a fool knowing that you, in fact, were getting in shape, girl!
Moon Shoes
Moon Shoes were a seriously hot toy, but they were terrible. They were basically boxes with stretchy bands over them, and I’m pretty sure I could jump higher without them than I could with them. Even though they weren’t that great, they still provided many fond memories of falling with friends.
Easy Bake Oven
Today’s Easy Bake Oven is a sad excuse for this amazing toy. In the 90’s you could actually burn yourself with this because it actually got pretty hot, but today there are too many regulations in place for that to happen. What’s even better is the fact that the treats tasted great, or perhaps that was just the sense of pride you felt when your creation was complete!
Sky Dancers
Sure I might have hit myself, my friends and my older sister in the face while launching these dancers, but it was worth it! They actually worked, and they were fun to watch. McDonald’s even had small versions in Happy Meals for a limited time, which made my Sky Dancer family even better.
Cabbage Patch Kids
I insisted my Cabbage Patch Kid adoption certificate be placed in a frame; that’s how serious I was about mine. And if you didn’t bring yours over to a friend’s house during playtime, you’d be left out in the dust!
Girl Talk Game
My friends and I would spend HOURS playing this game on weekends, making up ridiculous dares for each other to make the game even more exciting. The fortune cards were the best part, allowing us to decide our friend’s lives and making us wish we’d sat next to someone else.
Keypers
Nothing was better than sticking a note, wish, pack of gum or even piece of candy inside of your Keyper animal. I kept my proudly displayed on my nightstand, and loved the fact that my brother couldn’t get in. They held together pretty well, but were small inside, limiting what you could store.
Barbie McDonald’s Playset
I adopted this toy several years after it came out, but it was still worth playing with. You could make Barbie cook up hamburgers and shakes and then serve them outside on a table. The little parts are what made it great, even if you ended up losing a bun after a few plays.
Matchbox Play Boot
This toy brought “the old lady who lived in a shoe” to life! It was a BIG boot, and all the pieces had a place to be. You could put them at the dining room table, on the slide, on the merry-go-round or even on the top next to the clock. This toy maximized play in a fun container.
Remember this thing?
Barbie and the Rockers
These Barbies were AMAZING because they had super flexible arms that let you dance and do A LOT of other movements with them. Unfortunately I didn’t own one, but it was my go-to Barbie at my best friend’s house that I made do a lot of weird things.
Jem
This was one of my favorite dolls back in the day. Jem’s wardrobe closet was tucked inside of a real-life looking speaker, but that wasn’t even the best part. You could plug in your cassette player to the box and listen to music with it!
I always thought Jem was cooler than Barbie and her lame rockers
Lite Brite
One of the most frustrating parts was losing lights and replacing the black backgrounds, but it was worth it because this toy was SO FUN. You could write mean things to your siblings or just make a really awesome picture with it!
Fashion Plates
These were so fun, even if you had zero artistic ability. Basically you’d put together some embossed plates to get the image you want, run a rubber brush over them and then color it in. It meant hours of fun!
Baby Alive
As soon as I saw this commercial, I had to have it. A doll that pees? Yep! She even sucked her thumb like a real baby, so it was pretty much like the real deal for a kid at the time!
Nosy Bears
I still have these bears! The noses had different things inside of them that would move when you squeezed the tummy, like race cars and even popcorn. Back in the day it was all about simplicity, and these bears fit that bill perfectly.
Rainbow Brite
The original Rainbow Brite doll was the BEST made doll! She had great hair and was actually soft to hold, unlike the Rainbow Brite dolls today. I took my best friend’s to play with and never gave it back.
Strawberry Shortcake
I loved the show, and loved the doll set even more.
Popples
Popples were great because they tucked their bodies into themselves to make a toy (or pillow for me). The rainbow colors and smiling faces will take you back as soon as you see them!
I got one of the mini ones for my 7th birthday and it was awesome!
Pound Puppies
I had Pound Puppies, pound kitties and every other pound animal there was. Of course the puppies were the original animals, and you had to have all of them because they looked desperate for your love.
My Little Pony Original
They make these today, but the original ponies looked a lot more like authentic horses. My friends and I collected every single one of these and made our Barbies ride them for good measure. OG My Little Pony!!!
Sweet Secrets
These were plastic figurines with soft hair and bodies that served as containers. In them you could put lots of different accessories for safe keeping. The hardest part was collecting them all, because eventually they branched out from dolls to animals and other creatures.
Pillow People
These were soft, decorative pillows that covered my bed as a child. However, looking at them today, they had pretty creepy faces. They were much more fun to play with, as they had both arms and legs and were pretty large.
Glo Worm
Glo Worms had glowing heads and smiling, sleepy faces on soft wormy bodies. I proudly displayed mine in a giant pile of stuffed animals and occasionally would bring it out to play with other stuffies.
Le Clic Camera
These cameras were amazing to me when I finally got my hands on one. They had flash, they actually worked and they came in some awesome colors. They might not have been amazing quality, but for a kid, they were all I needed and more!
Little People
With this playset you could let your figurine slide, learn something in school and play on the playground. Even my kindergarten class had one and all the kids would fight over using it.
Polly Pocket
The original Polly Pockets were so detailed and fun to play with! They had shells and all sorts of unique containers that had secret worlds in them. It was hard keeping track of the tiny pieces in them, but they were so fun to play with, especially with friends, that it was worth digging in the couch to find them.
Doodle Bears
These were bears that you could draw all over, wash and repeat. However, you’d learn your lesson by accidentally using a non-washable marker and being stuck with something stupid on your bear. I brought this to school countless times to have friends sign it.
Puppy Surprise
Nothing was cuter than puppy surprise. There was a little velcro opening on the mommy where you’d store your puppies for safe keeping. If you had more than one dog, then you could mix and match puppies for an even bigger surprise – just like in real life!
My Pretty Ballerina
Even if you didn’t do ballet, this was a doll to have. She actually moved her legs and head like a real ballerina, and had a cute outfit to go along with it. She was the perfect playmate for other large dolls, although she was best when brought to school to share with friends.
Mall Madness
This game took a long time to put together but it was incredibly fun. I’d play with my sister, brother, friends and anyone else who would play with me. The best part was the credit card slot that you’d swipe every time you purchased something. No sleepover was complete without this.
PJ Sparkles
PJ Sparkles, shine the light on me, shine, shine shine!
PJ Sparkles lit up on her necklace, earrings and a lot of other places. Every kid in my class went nuts when she came out, and I remember her being sold out for many holidays.
Wuzzles
Wuzzles were so popular, but I can’t remember why. Maybe it was the bright colors? Anyways, these stuffed animals were all the rage for kids in the 80’s, and were best friends to keep in your bedroom for many years.
Cricket Doll
This was a unique doll because she talked, her eyes moved and her mouth moved. However, she looked very creepy. Not to mention she was known for talking while not being played with, which increased the “scary” factor even more as a child.
Teddy Ruxpin
Teddy Ruxpin was the ultimate bear toy. He spoke using a cassette tape that you put in his back, and he was amazing. Kids in my class would actually bring him for show and tell, and it never got old.
Flower Makin Basket
To make some flowers, all you had to do was stick some dough inside of the pots then pull back the handle on the basket. After that, you’d have beautifully formed flowers made out of dough! One thing I remember the most is the song from the commercial. A tisket a tasket a flower making basket!
Pooch Patrol
If you wanted to be protected, then you’d have Pooch Patrol. The dog was a guard against everything from little brothers to a scary movie! He definitely protected me on a nightly basis.
Little Miss Makeup Doll
This doll was so cool because you could comb her hair, put it in a pony tail or just style it how you wanted. You could also put makeup on her, and it would come on/off using hot or cold water! It was like magic.
Power Wheels
90’s Powerwheels were fast, they were exciting and they were so much fun. I’d race my siblings in my car all day long with my stuffed animals and dolls by my side. That is if I was lucky enough to actually have one of these
“POW POW Power wheels! POW POW Power wheels! Power wheels, power makes ’em go!
BeDazzler
The BeDazzler was my go-to resource for making my clothing, bags and everything else look sparkly. It took a long time to replace the rhinestones for placing on your clothing, but it meant spending hours doing something seriously fun.
Slip n Slide
With the original Slip n Slide, all you needed was water, dish soap and a hill. Kids would come back bruised after the summer because they’d fall on this, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
We had the ghetto knock off version, the wet banana.
Super Soaker
Super Soakers Changed EVERYTHING!
Treasure Trolls
Trolls were the best because of their crazy hair and the gems they had on their tummies. You HAD to collect all of them, and could play them with your Barbies for even more fun.
Kid Sister
This doll really did feel like your sister, best of all because she didn’t talk back. She was big, soft and sturdy enough to take just about anywhere you went. She was the ultimate best friend for any kid!
Maxie Fashion Dolls
This doll looked like Barbie, but had a more California look to her. Whether you were doing her giant-sized hair or having her listen to her headphones, she was always fun.
Hugga Bunch
These dolls were creepy looking, yet they were incredibly popular. Everyone had at least one of these in their plush toy arsenal, and would bring it on sleepovers with the little babies they came with.
Cabbage Patch Big Wheel
If you wanted to take proper care of your Cabbage Patch, then you needed the clubhouse as well as the power cycle. They made it easy to transport and feed your child, all with the help of your friends. Everything was fun about this, including the detachable basket that sat on the back of the bike.
Spokey Dokeys
I never had these but always thought they were cool.
Jelly Bracelets
These were awesome
Charm Necklaces
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